The One True Backpack, Twitch Affiliate and RPGs

Another week, another blog post and another series of events. This week I wanted to write a small post about the greatest backpack ever made, touch on an awesome milestone we achieved here at LAN Mob and mention my current RPG rabbit hole. There isn't much need for an introduction, so here we go!

The One True Backpack

I've reviewed a lot of games over the years. Right here on the LAN Mob Blog, my high school newspaper and even on Myspace a few times (oh god, what a time). Just recently I made my foray into reviewing board games with an article about one of my favorites, Zombicide: Black Plague. While that post proved to be difficult at first, I could make it work thanks to the similarities between video and tabletop gaming. Now I find myself wanting to review something I never would've ever imagined I would even attempt to do...a backpack.

This beauty is called the "Aegis", and was created by "Qanba", a company well known for their high quality fight-sticks. The Aegis was very specifically and distinctly designed for the traveling gamer, but I'm confident in saying it could really benefit anyone looking for a solid backpack. The black/charcoal Aegis is 100% polyester, and weighs in at around 2 pounds before you start loading this beast up. There's a whole mess of pockets, including a storage area with multiple mesh pockets inside, a water bottle mesh pocket on the side, accessory pockets, and of course the main compartment. The main compartment is pretty deep, and fits my PlayStation 4, controllers, a few games and still has room for a a few days worth of clothes. The real cherry on top, and what originally made me decide to look into getting an Aegis is a very unique pocket in the middle of the bag -

This "joystick layer" pocket is like a dream come true. The stick guard box houses the actual stick on your fight-stick, which is a bit of a lifesaver. Before the Aegis, carrying a fight-stick in a backpack could be a pain. Literally! If the joystick faced inwards, it could dig into your back and be quite uncomfortable, and if you faced the stick outwards, it could jam up against other things in your pack. I was always very paranoid about my stick breaking in some way due to this, and the Aegis really solves that problem!

So if you're like me and lug around your entire setup everywhere (minus monitor) I really couldn't recommend the Aegis more. Even if you don't have a fight-stick, that stick guard box can be folded down flat, and it makes a suitcase-esque pocket for any use. In fact, I was able to bring my PS4 + Xbox One + Accessories + Clothes in one bag, which is impressive by itself, but what really sets it apart in this aspect is how damn comfortable it is. There's even an extra added layer of mesh cushioning between your back and the bag. The Aegis is available on Qanba's official website, as well as eightarc's shop for a mere $80.00. Some may think that's a bit expensive for a backpack, but I promise you, it's worth it.

Twitch Affiliate Program

Changing gears quite a bit, recently LAN Mob hit a pretty huge milestone and the community had such a huge part in it. Ever since our Smash 4 LML, we've been consistently working hard to bring content to our Twitch channel. Alas, just this last week, LAN Mob's Twitch channel qualified for the Twitch Affiliate program! *cheers and claps* To anyone unfamiliar, this program will allow our Twitch channel to grow even bigger and better, and offer even more benefits to our community. We've even got a sub button now! Subs work in a few ways - There are three tiers of subs, Bronze, Silver and Gold for $5, $10 and $25 respectively. Also don't forget about subbing with Twitch prime, technically for free! All of this wouldn't be possible without our awesome community, and a huge thanks is in order! To anyone who takes time to watch our channel, you guys are the MVPs. Thanks for supporting the local community, even if you're from across the globe! Special shout outs are in order for all the community members who have come down and added their talents and personalities to our community stream -

A special shoutout to Spydude43 for the countless Sunday morning Smash 4 highlights!

There's also a plethora of players who have made their appearance on the LAN Mob stream via tournaments and voice comms and you guys deserve a big thank you as well!

Lastly, if you would like to become part of our streaming community, it's as easy as applying! Each homepage on the PCs right in the shop include a schedule for streaming, or just contact us directly.

RPGs

Speaking of Twitch, you may have caught me streaming a game called Divinity: Original Sin 2 this last week. Divinity OS2 is one of the many RPGs I'm currently juggling/looking to start, and while each of these games is fantastic THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY.

Kingdom Hearts

Yep, I'm still slowly making my way through it. The nostalgia is strong with this one, and I'm genuinely enjoying playing through again. I gotta say though, as an adult...Riku is pretty unbearable. Stop jumping to conclusions homie!

YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

Unfortunately this game hit my backburner for a while, but I refuse to not finish it by the end of the year. I'm only a few hours in but YS 8 really helps develop an already detailed world, and it manages to still be accessible for players who haven't experience the rest of the games. Also ya know, fishing.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Honestly, I dont know too much about this one, but I'm excited to dig in. Enrique recommended this game to me countless times, and currently my favorite streamer is enjoying it. Apparently the game is based off a comic book, but it's something I've never read or even seen. Turn based combat, awesome art style, tons of crafting, multiple party members and FISHING? I'm IN.

Dragon's Dogman: Dark Arisen

"But Cody, this game is like 5 years old!" YEAH I KNOW, BUT IT GOT REMASTERED! DDDA is one of those games that seriously doesn't get enough credit, and honestly should share a lot of the same success Dark Souls does. It's no secret that the original Dragon's Dogma had some very real technical issues, but I'm hopeful they were addressed in the remaster. I can't wait to climb giant monsters and consequently fall off and hurt myself - IN THE MODERN GENERATION.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Lastly, but CERTAINLY not least is this gem. I've only dumped around 40 hours into DOS2, about 20 of which on stream, but this game is already closing in on my top spot for GOTY. Stay tuned for a lengthy review, but in the meantime all I can say is this game is basically the digital realization of D&D, but done perfectly. Holy crap.

Rob and I had a relatively short discussion the other day about finding time to game, and the general theme was - if you REALLY love a game, you'll find the time to play it. I can't say when, but I'm promising myself I will finish all these games. The tough thing about loving RPGs so much, is they're all usually MASSIVE. That's fine. At least I'll never be bored!